


Here, Kitty, Kitty Kitty

by kakairupowns (miharu)



Series: Segments [11]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-27
Updated: 2008-06-27
Packaged: 2017-10-18 08:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/187080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miharu/pseuds/kakairupowns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A kitten stows away on the Thousand Sunny, and Sanji finds it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here, Kitty, Kitty Kitty

**Author's Note:**

> Fluff. Now with added kitten adorableness.

“Meow.”

Sanji stopped, puzzled, and peered around. He stood in the middle of the pantry, glancing around for the source of the noise.

“Meow.”

Turning quickly, he saw a flash of white and brown, as the tip of a tail vanished around one of the boxes. Surprised and curious, he rubbed at his eyes, and tried to tell himself that he was imagining things.

A few minutes ago, the cook had woken up from a sound sleep with the munchies. Getting out of the hammock he shared with his lover as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t wake the slumbering swordsman (getting tangled in the ropes anyway, and cursing when he ended up sprawled on the floor), he had padded down the hall in his boxers and one of Zoro’s extra shirts. Knuckling the sleep out of his eyes, he had made it to the kitchen without much incident (getting slobbered on by a hungry, sleeping rubber-captain not withstanding). He went straight to the back, where the snacks were hidden. Since Luffy usually grabbed whatever was set out to eat, or what was readily available in the fridge, it was easy to hide the rest in the pantry.

Now he wasn’t sure if he was entirely awake. Blinking to himself, he walked closer to the crate in question, and peered over the top.

Sprawled on the deck, paws fully extended and in the middle of a stretch, was a black kitten, with white paws and streaks of brown fur mingled with the solid black of its body. The ears were white at the tips, and it’s muzzle was a black and white blend. It blinked innocently up at Sanji, who blinked back.

Realization hit, and two things happened at once. Sanji woke completely, and leapt for it and it jumped up and ran pell-mell for the door. Chasing it around the room a couple of times (and stubbing his toes on almost every box in the room), he finally had it cornered in one of the corners of the pantry, between several bags of rice and some crates of spices.

He advanced slowly, panting slightly, and it’s hackles raised; tail stiff in the air, back arched and hissing to complete the picture. Smiling softly, Sanji crooned quietly to it, crouching down so that he wasn’t so menacing.

“It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you. Come on, come here pretty kitty.” He made clicking sounds with his tongue, holding one hand out for the kitten to sniff.

Slowly lowering its guard, but still wary of him, the kitten hunched lower to the floor, its back legs tensed and ready to spring. It stretched its neck so it was closer to him, nose sniffing the air and trying to determine if he was still a threat.

Sanji, for his part, was holding his breath, waiting to see what would happen next. He’d seen a couple of cats when he was on the Baratie; they were quite useful to have around, and would rid the ship of rodents. But some sailors were scared of them, and thought that having a cat aboard was bad luck. It was an ongoing debate between the cooks of the Baratie. Some thought that it was a bad omen, and others believed it to bring good luck. Regardless of which was true, young Sanji befriended one of the strays on board and Zeff decided he could keep it. Delighted, he’d played with it almost every day, and it was practically always hanging around him. It was an old cat though, and died just a few months later.

Cooing quietly to the black kitten, Sanji edged slightly closer and froze, watching it sniff at his hand. Curling his fingers, he was delighted when it took a couple of steps closer, following the movement. He stretched his hand out over its head, bringing it down to pet it. Flinching minutely at first, the kitten relaxed into the gentle touch, and began to purr as Sanji stroked down its back.

Smiling gently, he continued to pet it, chuckling quietly when the rumbling purr just got louder, and scratched behind one ear. The kitten pushed against his touch, seeking more contact. Grinning, Sanji obliged.

Suddenly, the door opened with a muffled ‘bang’ as it bounced off of the wall. Startled, Sanji jerked and whipped his head toward the noise, but the kitten’s reaction was much more explosive. It let out a high-pitched and terrified ‘meow’, launched itself up and over the mountain of crates nearby, and bolted towards the door and off to another part of the ship.

Scowling, Sanji stood up to glare at the culprit. A slightly stunned looking Zoro, still rumpled from sleep and in just his boxers, blinked back at him before breaking out into a yawn.

“The hell was that?” He asked sleepily. Stumbling across to Sanji he draped himself over his lover, with his head hanging down over one shoulder, arms dangling uselessly in front of the cook.

Huffing a slightly frustrated sigh, Sanji shifted a little to better support the swordsman. Earrings chimed softly together as Zoro’s head rocked with the motion. “It was a slightly less terrified kitten, but now it’s probably a shaking ball of fur in the crow’s nest, thanks to you. What are you doing in here, anyway?”

Sliding his arms back and around the cook, Zoro hugged the other man to him, enjoying the feel of Sanji in his arms. Pressing a light kiss to the cook’s temple, he answered. “Nothin’. Was just cold. Better now, though.” He nuzzled into Sanji’s neck. “Bed.”

Rolling his eyes, Sanji smiled fondly at his lover, knowing that it took him a little while after waking up to form complete sentences. He brought one of his hands up to his waist, twining his fingers in with Zoro’s, and feeling the metal band there. He looked down at their fingers, rings twinkling in the lantern-light, and tipped his head back to rest on his swordsman’s shoulder.

They stood like that for a moment or two, just enjoying the quiet, until Zoro tugged on their joined hands, motioning to leave the pantry. He untangled himself and pulled the cook out into the galley, pausing only so Sanji could put out the light.

They made their way back, Zoro grumbling about how tired he was, and Sanji sniping good-naturedly that he wasn’t complaining during their earlier activities. Zoro growled and semi-tackled the other man when they reached the bunkroom door, and Sanji snuffled a laugh into Zoro’s neck as they hit the deck with a ‘thump’. Looking around quickly, they checked that none of their nakama had woken up, and Sanji pulled Zoro to his feet. They tumbled down into their hammock, all tangled limbs and laughing kisses. Eventually, Sanji righted them so he was along Zoro’s side, half on top of the swordsman, and snuggled down into his shoulder. Sighing, he followed Zoro into sleep.

Poking his nose into the room, the black kitten padded silently across the planking, following the scent of the kind human. He wrinkled his nose slightly when the smell mingled with the louder human, but decided that he didn’t mind so much. He had already smelt the loud one on his human before; it was just stronger now. Resigned to the fact that they were obviously mates, he decided to just ignore the noisy one, and jumped lightly on top of the two sleeping forms. Curling up on the broad, tan chest, he cuddled over to his human, laying so that his body was stretched along the kind human’s stomach where it met the loud one’s. Satisfied, a low, rumbling purr emanated from his body as he relaxed with his new friend.


End file.
